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Dwealt Or Ridgid Miter Saw

08-11-2005, 05:25 PM

I am current shopping for a 12 sliding miter saw and i have all Dewalt power tools and love them but i have started looking at Ridgid more closley lately. I like both the Dewalt and Ridgid 12 sliding miter saw and dont care about price so i need to know which one to buy. I am mostley interested in accuracy. Can anybody give me any suggestions?

I've used the 12" Dewalt for the past 7 years. I have the original design. With few exceptions it has never let me down. The tool is used in both framing and trim work. I am careful to keep it aligned and use the proper blade. The two things that come to mind are that it is not the greatest with dust removal(few are) and it has a tendency to tip to the rear when fully inserted. The outriggers help but not 100%. Keep in mind the new design may address these issues. I know they changed the dust shute. I've read good things about the Ridgid but have no personal knowledge.If and when I purchase a new SM, I will look at the 10" as opposed to 12" as from my experience and use I can't justify the defference. Unless you have specialized needs a 10" SM will do just fine and alot less expensive and much lighter to lug around.

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I will be using the saw for extremly accurate cuts on wide material so the saw need to be accurate. Are there any differances in accuracy? I have dewalt stuff and like it but ridgid is cheaper, larger table, and included clamp.

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dont buy either, if you want a DAMN GOOD SLIDING MITRE, you must buy the Makita LS1013, or the LS1212. they beat all others hands down....just read the reviews!

The yellow is a piece of @#$%.....not kidding it tips over, it isnt designed well thats why they give you the bar to stablelize it....just go look at a Makita slider compared to the rest and I guarentee you will buy the Makita!!!!!!!

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look at the reviews of sliding miters and that will tell you something close of what to buy! Buy what you feel you like and dont buy more than you need. If I was to buy another (which I am going to real real soon) I would buy the LS1013L (laser). I already have the Makita LS1013. And it is the most accurate saw on the market...just look at the reviews.......but buy what you need not more than you need!!

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the lasers on the makita's have a adjustable laser. you can eiher set the laser, to the left of the blade, right of the blade or right in-line of the blade. Also you can have the laser on without the motor running. I love mine and wouldnt give it up!
Thanx....

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I'm glad to hear that Makita went with an adjustable laser. IF it can be adjusted to acutally project a line on the cutline then I doubt if you could find a better SCMS that the LS1013. Some may be as good but I doubt if they're better.

I haven't had a chance to check it out yet but I just received a DVD from DeWalt announcing their new 12" miter saws. Anyone had a chance to check any of these new saws out yet? Local HD here doesn't have any of the new ones on the shelf yet.

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~~Don't worry about old age; it doesn't last that long.

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The laser on the Hitachi is also adjustable and the bevel angles also have a micro-adjustment feature. Here's the description from the manufacturer as shown on Amazon's site:

"Product Description
From the Manufacturer
Here is the saw that is going to revolutionize the sliding compound miter saw market! Hitachi has designed the most advanced slide rail system ever that allows the saw to be placed snug to a wall. The slide rails are fixed and do not extend out from tool during the cut. The ultimate space saver. The C12LSH also has a top mounted, LCD digital display for miter and bevel readings. This LCD digital display along with the exclusive laser marker eliminates all guess work for the most accurate cuts. The laser is fully adjustable so you can dial in your preferred setting. Besides all this, perhaps the best feature on this tool is the micro bevel adjustment. This dial allows the user to fine tune the bevel angle with ease to eliminate costly mistakes. The C12LSH is powered by a heavy duty 15 amp belt driven motor."